Donna McGettigan (Clare, Sinn Fein)

I speak today about something that touches every community, family and sector of our economy. I refer to the power of further education in an ever-changing Ireland. We are living in a time of profound transformation, technologically, economically and socially. In such a dynamic world, education is not just a tool for personal development; it is the backbone of national resilience and progress. In Ireland, we proudly hold the belief that higher education is a universal good, and rightly so. Time and again, our graduates go on to contribute enormously to society. Whether in classrooms, clinics, studios, factories or research labs, they help us to grow, heal, build and imagine. Yet, we must also acknowledge the challenges facing our system. Despite our progress, the dropout rate in higher education remains stubbornly high, at around 11%. This figure represents thousands of young people who began with ambition but did not complete their journeys. Behind each number is a story of financial hardship, inadequate support or a system that did not adapt to their needs. If education is a universal good, then our commitment must also be universal to help every learner reach the finish line.

A highly skilled labour force is not optional; it is essential for Ireland's future prosperity. It is these skills in construction, healthcare, technology and trade that will help us to address the housing and healthcare crises and unlock the potential of emerging technologies. Fortunately, Ireland has cultivated a strong reputation as a hub for research and innovation. Our ability to attract foreign investment is no accident. It is built on the foundation of a skilled and adaptable workforce. Yet, in this picture of progress, apprenticeships remain an under-leveraged asset. They bridge the gap between education and the real world, equipping people with practical skills while offering a vital route to employment. The Government's Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025, with its goal of 10,000 registrations by 2025, is a step of the right direction. Record registration numbers show a growing appetite for this path. We must confront uncomfortable truths. Dropout rates in apprenticeships hover around 20%, largely due to training delays. Why? It is because off-the-job trainers are not being hired in sufficient numbers and earn less than they could make on-site. Apprenticeships intended to last four years might sometimes stretch to six years. Worse still, apprentices start on subminimum rates of pay and this low income is prolonged by delays in training progression. We cannot expect young people to build our future if the system is failing to build theirs.

SUSI grants are meant to be a safety net for students in further education but too many fall through the cracks. Students under the age of 23 who have left home, often out of necessity, are locked out of funding. Others, aged over 23 but still having to live at home due to the housing crisis, are assessed based not only on their income but also on their parents' income, which is a cruel irony in our current economy. The funding deficit in our education sector has become so large that private companies have begun to step in. While partnerships can offer value, we must not normalise the privatisation of public education. If megacorporations from sectors like aviation tech or pharma begin strategically shaping the education landscape, we risk marginalising disciplines not seen as commercially useful and obscuring the social or environmental harms of the same industries.

Inclusion must remain a pillar of our education system. The National Youth Council of Ireland, representing 54 national voluntary youth organisations, understands this. Its innovative skills summary project recognises youth work as an educational process. It provides a structured way to make non-formal learning outcomes visible, especially for young people furthest from mainstream education. This is not just a good policy but is essential for an inclusive learning society. Let us not forget the role of science and innovation. Ireland has always punched above its weight in this arena. From biotech to AI and from clean energy to advanced materials, we are at the frontier. This will only be the case, though, if we continue to support the research ecosystem. This means public investment in laboratories, early career researchers and interdisciplinary exploration. Innovation does not happen in isolation. It is born where education meets immigration. I cautiously welcome the roll-out of the global talent recruitment initiative. We need to be cautious about the issues we are having here before bringing that initiative to fruition.

The power of further education lies not just in the degrees conferred or the jobs secured but in a society we build together. An inclusive, adaptive and fair education system is the strongest foundation for all of Ireland, which we want it to become. Let us invest in people, remove barriers and celebrate all pathways to success, including academic, vocational and everything in between. Let us hold ourselves accountable for building a system that serves not just today's economy but tomorrow's society.

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